Off the beaten path

CoinZip · November 11, 2014 1:22AM

I will be the first to admit that I know very little about Ancient Coins, but last night at the Winchester Numismatic Society (club meeting) I bought this from the club auction.

The writing on the 2x2 states Diocletian 284-305 AD

LochNESS · November 11, 2014 1:53AM

Cool newp! You can still make out lots of detail. Handsome bust.

I think the 2x2 got it right, as the letters behind the crown (as I'm sure you know) read: IMP DIOCLE meaning 'emperor Diocletian.'

I feel safe making this comment because I too know very little about ancients.

We should have a game thread where all us non-ancient collectors try to analyze a coin, while the ancients experts sit back and have a laugh. Then after we're done they can tell us how close we got

STLNATS · November 11, 2014 2:03AM

<< I will be the first to admit that I know very little about Ancient Coins, but last night at the Winchester Numismatic Society (club meeting) I bought this from the club auction.

The writing on the 2x2 states Diocletian 284-305 AD
>>

Pre reform (ie before 294) coin of Diocletian. Jovi Conservatori of the 2 Augusti (AUGG) reverse. I looked through dio section of wildwinds but didn't see this specific combo of mintmark and type. I think the reverse exergue mark is XX (wreath) IB but am not certain. In any case, this coin is a decent intro to roman and is not dissimilar to what a lot of us started with years ago.

Congrats!

STLNATS · November 11, 2014 2:49AM

It bothered me that this wasn't in WW so I went to another source Helveticas ID help since I don't have RIC V at hand. RIC V is pretty old and is actively under revision and Helvetica has built a pretty good excel listing of types. If I understand her listing correctly, it appears that your coin is RIC V-2 166 (volume V, part 2) from Rome, dated to 292. RIC 166 includes "mintmark" varieties with and without the wreath and those pictured in WW are without. Minted in 292, my guess is that the wreath might commemorate the 10th anniversary of Dio's accession, altho that's a guess on my part. The B at the end of the mintmark indicates that this was produced by the 2nd officina or workshop of the mint. There's some disagreement about what the XXI means, but appears on most coins of this type of this period and ties to Aurelian's reform/improvement of the coinage in 274.

Lots going on on this modest little metal disk and ought to provide a few leads for further investigation if you're in the mood.

What fun!

Steve27 · November 11, 2014 2:52AM

Appears to be follis similar to this Antoninianus (RIC V 166):

IMP DIOCLETIANVS AVG/ IOVI CONSERVAT AVGG

STLNATS · November 11, 2014 3:11AM

<< Appears to be follis similar to this Antoninianus (RIC V 166):In
>>

I'm sorry to seem pedantic, but coinzip's piece is also an "antoninianus;" folles were much larger with a laurated bust and introduced in 294.

As a sidebar, there are over 20 varieties of RIC 166 in Helvetica's list (mostly small variations of obv types and officina numbers) and I think that the wreath in the mintmark makes this coin a bit more special. If the update is ever completed I'd bet the wreath varieties will receive their own listing from those without. In any case, while ancients tend to take a little more effort and research, the trip always seems to provide rewards in learning something new. And, those with a bit more experience tend not to laugh at newbys' efforts since we've been there too and there's always something new to learn irrespective of one's "level" of expertise.

lordmarcovan · November 11, 2014 4:59AM

A pedantic, professorial puffin.

It's all good.

Hey, CZ, it's good to see you here. Welcome to the Darkside, and to Ancients, the Darkside of the Darkside!

As you can see, your Bust half specialists aren't the only numismatists with a whole language of their own.

But don't let that be intimidating. One nice thing about ancients is that anyone of any budget or level of commitment can participate.

Maybe you just wanted to dip your toe in, or maybe that coin will lead you towards a new adventure, depending on how much you want it to.

Regardless, that's a nice starter coin, and Diocletian was certainly an interesting historical figure. He left a much bigger historical footprint than many of his contemporaries. To the Christians, he was a bloody persecutor, but from the Roman point of view, he was a reformer and significantly great emperor in a period that didn't produce very many. Most of them ended up being murdered, often by their own troops, but Diocletian lived into retirement and was able to plant cabbages n his old age.

NiceCurrency · November 11, 2014 5:27AM

Listen man if you saw how my cabbages were doing you'd totally want to abdicate as well

STLNATS · November 11, 2014 8:17AM

<< A pedantic, professorial puffin.

>>

A precise, pedantic, professorial puffin to YOU Lord M!

You are right tho, even in modest grade an interesting, fully identifiable, fun coin that could pull a collector who is willing to put in a little effort/research in several directions.

lordmarcovan · November 11, 2014 2:37PM

<< 

<< A pedantic, professorial puffin.

>>

A precise, pedantic, professorial puffin to YOU Lord M!

You are right tho, even in modest grade an interesting, fully identifiable, fun coin that could pull a collector who is willing to put in a little effort/research in several directions. >>

You're even better at alliteration than I am.

Off the beaten path

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